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Why
Now?
In March of 2006, Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Archdiocese
of Los Angeles said he would instruct his priests and others working
in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to disregard provisions of House
Bill HR4437 that would criminalize providing humanitarian aid
to persons without first checking their legal status. Cardinal
Mahony's statements were significant in awakening the general
public and legislators to the moral and human dimensions of the
question - effectively changing the terms of the public debate.
See current legislation.
On March 27, 2006 hundreds of religious leaders gathered in Washington
DC to exercise their moral authority to seek to ensure that the
deliberations of the Senate judiciary committee took into account
the human and moral realities of immigrant families. The resulting
legislative proposal was significantly more compassionate and
inclusive than the House measures.
Since that date, faith leaders around the country have continued
to work in their local areas to respond to the needs of immigrant
workers and their families and to support coalitions working on
comprehensive immigration reform. Over the months, key leaders
have also sought to define the particular contributions that clergy
and congregational leaders could make to the larger struggle.
The crisis of ongoing raids and deportations as well as the opportunity
offered by the push for federal legislation increased the urgency
of creating an effective and prophetic national strategy. In November
of 2006, through conversations between faith leaders across the
country, these visions coalesced into a new national initiative
- the New Sanctuary Movement.
LINKS
See
The Convening, Washington D.C.
See
Overview, Goals and Structure of the New Sanctuary Movement
See
About the Coordinating Organizations
See
Prophetic Hospitality: Strategies for A New Movement
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